The Salistamba Sutra, a Mahayana text of great antiquity, has perished in its original Sanskrit form. It is, however, extensively quoted in Sanskrit commentarial literature which does survive in the original. Moreover, the Salistamba survives in several Chinese versions and in Tibetan, including a seventh-century manuscript which represents one of the earliest extant examples of the Tibetan language.

SCRIPTURE OF THE LOTUS BLOSSOM OF THE FINE DHARMA, THE LOTUS SUTRAby Leon Hurvitz

This is a translation of a Buddhist scripture which was originally written in Sanskrit but is best known to Buddhists through Chinese versions. It is one of the most influential and popular texts of Mahayana Buddhism, emphasizing the doctrine that there is only one path to enlightenment, the bodhisattva-path, and the principle that the Buddha is not to be delimited in time and space. The work is famous and beloved throughout the Far East for its parables, such as that of the burning house, that of the wayward son, and many others; for its presentation of abstract religious concepts in concrete images; for the innumerable fascinating beings which people the work; and for the charm, warmth, and directness of its style.

The Suramgamasamadhisutra is an early Mahayana Buddhist scripture. Within a narrative framework provided by a dialogue between the Buddha and the bodhisattva Drdhamati, it airs central issues of Mahayana Buddhism by means of philosophical discussion, edifying anecdote, marvellous feat, and drama. At its core is a description of the seeming conversion of Mara, the embodiment of all malign tendencies that obstruct advancement, and the prediction that he too will become a Buddha.

One of the great treasures of Buddhist literature, is mDo-mdzangs-blun or the Sutra of the Wise and the Foolish as it is known to the Mongols. The text was translated to Mongolian from Tibetan as the Uliger-un dalai or Ocean of Narratives. It is one of the most interesting, enjoyable and readable Buddhist scriptures.

One of the most popular Asian classics for roughly two thousand years, the Vimalakirti Sutra stands out among the sacred texts of Mahayana Buddhism for its conciseness, its vivid and humorous episodes, its dramatic narratives, and its eloquent exposition of the key doctrine of emptiness or nondualism.

This classic scripture of Mahayana Buddhism and Zen emphasizes spiritual practice in the midst of secular life. Composed in about the second century CE, The Vimalakirti Nirdesa Sutra tells the story of a householder named Vimalakirti who lives a worldly life while following the Bodhisattva path. This sutra is particularly applicable to Western students of Buddhism because it teaches that people in the secular life can practice Buddhism as effectively as members of monastic communities.

The way to understand the Buddha's teachings is to see that they are divided into either the three yanas, or the four philosophical tenets. For those who wish to know the view or the philosophy of Buddhism then the best way to learn it is to know the differences between the views of the four philosophical tenets. When the Buddha made these presentations of the different philosophical views, the point was to allow people to investigate with their own intelligence the various teachings and in that way to become very skilled in the different philosophical views and to be able to learn how to analyze things for oneself. Therefore what Khenpo Tsultrim presents here is the path of reason, the presentation of the two truths by the different philosophical tenets which leads one from a common understanding of what is real to ever more subtle understandings which can eventually lead to that which is beyond the intellect.

If Bodhisattvas see no real sentient beings, no real suffering, how is it they are moved by great compassion? Much of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy is a quest to answer this question by articulating a middle way: a view of existence sturdy enough to sustain a coherent ethical system without betraying Buddha 's vision of emptiness (sunyata). Buddhist perspectives on ethics and emptiness center on the distinction between two truths-the convential and the ultimate. Newland's work lays out the Madhyamika philosophy of two truths as seen through the eyes of Tibetan scholar-yogis of the Geluk-ba order.

THE DIAMOND SUTRA: Transforming the Way We Perceive the Worldby Mu Soeng

" This book is a job well done. Mu Soeng clearly illuminates the fscinating world of ancient Buddhist thought and skillfully guides us through its historical evolution. For the first time, I began to understand this important history. And his insightful commentary on the Diamond Sutra makes accessible to us all the transforming wisdom of this profound text. I highly recommend this book for all those wishing an in-depth exploration of the enlightened mind." ---Joseph Goldstein